My Love-Hate Relationship with Dane Cook

After watching My Best Friend's Girl last week, I started contemplating Dane Cook's movies so far. In Mr. Brooks he was convincing (maybe it's also just because I didn't know him to be a comedian back then). In Dan in Real Life he was the perfect complement to Michael Scott's, er, Steve Carrell's character. Then in this new comedy with Kate Hudson he was almost adorable, but the entertainer in him could've needed just a bit more push.

I haven't seen Good Luck Chuck yet for the mere reason that I found its trailer, synopsis and movie poster dry, nay, forgettable. But now, having watched his almost-but-not-quite performance by Cook, I think I'll give him a shot.

Now, Dane Cook as a stand-up comedian is a totally different story. He's quirky, he's energetic, and he can find the hidden joke in the most mundane things. What I can't seem to grasp though is how someone who's bigger than life when in front of an audience could suddenly turn into a cardboard cutout when in front of a rolling camera.